With
his most recent release, Krantz and his band-mates, bassist Tim Lefebvre
and drummer Keith Carlock, embrace the notion of scuba diving the ocean
of improvised groove. These men are striving for uncharted depths of sonic
interplay that more often than not go unexplored. One will hear less of
the shredding solos of a guitar demigod, but rather a fearless commitment
to the calculated risk of improvisation pushed to extreme heights of bombast.
Your Basic Live achieves levels of energy, complexity, and neck-snapping
whimsy that make it one of the most unique, rocking jazz recordings of
the past year.

For most readers, the name Wayne Krantz will not ring
any bells. His projects have been low profile, his recordings slip far
under the blips and quibbles of pop culture, and he does not release his
records on any label, corporate or indie. His last three discs, Your
Basic Live (2002), Greenwich Mean (1999), and Two-Drink
Minimum (1996), were recorded live at the intimate 55 Bar in New
York City’s East Village. The music was captured in stark low-fidelity
with a minidisk recorder and a microphone hung from the ceiling. His disks
are sold exclusively at shows and on his website. Currently, he only plays
dates at the 55 Bar and jazz festivals in Europe.

Biographically speaking, Wayne Krantz was born in Corvallis,
Oregon. A product of Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late seventies,
Krantz first substantial gig was in composer/pianist Carla Bley's band.
He has done stints with such luminaries as Leni Stern, Michael Brecker,
Billy Cobham, and, most recently, Steely Dan. His current trio, however,
is a beast of his own design.

Listening to the Wayne Krantz discography, one gets a
good sense of the journey his music has taken, and how Your Basic
Live is a culmination of years of dedication to the creative process
of group improvisation. His previous record, Greenwich Mean, is a mix
of fully realized compositions and snippets of engaging improvisation.
There's less of the shredding guitar solos and composed mayhem of 1996’s
Two Drink Minimum and more reliance on group interplay. In Greenwich
Mean, one also starts to hear greater use of analog gadgetry such
as delay, wah-wah, and ring modulation.

Your Basic Live picks up where Greenwich
Mean leaves off. There are no snippets here. Each musical journey
is depicted in its entirety, with a vast majority of the material being
improvised. Where the jams on Greenwich Mean are often taught
and funky, here there is a unique ambience. Weight is given to the decay
of notes, and is highlighted by the aforementioned use of delay, reverb,
and ring modulation. As musical thoughts are intoned and reverberate,
they clash, causing microcosmic tension and release. The result is an
intensely three-dimensional music that churns and edifies in its downhill
path. This is intelligent, visceral, demanding music that defies genre
placement.

These are all masterful musicians. Bassist Tim Lefebvre
upends classic funk riffs with intelligence and aplomb. Though not overly
subtle in tone, he delicately and tastefully employs chords and effects
that wrap their way through the sonic tapestry. Drummer Keith Carlock
is cathartic throughout. “Four-on-the-floor” backbeats and
explosive polyrhythmic tirades are utilized with commensurate enthusiasm
and surety. Krantz is a seasoned talent. His sound is tied tightly to
his bright Strat tone and unrelenting, searching exploration. Note choices
are confident, informed, and inspired. Further, each musician is propulsively
rhythmic. An unrelenting G-force quality is given to each musical excursion
that perpetually moves it forward towards a perceived crash and burn that
never happens.

In searching for comparisons, one might invoke electric-era
Miles Davis for its churning whimsy and sonic accoutrements. One hears
70’s fusion in Krantz’s guitar work, and a heavy funk presence
in LeFebvre’s bass work. Energy permeates the music, and is bolstered
by the raw, “present-in-room” nature of the recording. As
an aside, being in the room for one of Krantz’s shows at the 55
Bar is a phenomenal experience. Krantz plays with an extremely calm, composed
demeanor that suits his mastery. In contrast, Carlock looks intent on
beating his drums past the point of death.

The realization arises, however, that it matters not how
the musicians flail, but how the music moves. Your Basic Live
represents this ideal extremely well, with its utilitarian packaging,
do-it-yourself recording process and sales plan, and enclosed plea to
not dub the disk for your buddy, because of concern for the musician’s
livelihood. Musically, it’s an enlightening study in the power capabilities
of a guitar trio, and also shows some of the interesting avenues group
improvisation of this variety can travel, musically and sonically. And
as if that’s not enough, there are few doing anything like it.